IndoChinese Hakka Noodles

Story: This recipe reminds me of the fights from high school and college... Remember the group of students notorious for bullying others... I was in that group. I am not proud of it - ok - may be I am just a little :-) Anyways.. those days were fun because I would say exactly what was on my mind without thinking twice about what the other person might think.. a line my friends still remember:

To a girl from my class who was giving my friend Devaki a hard time - "If you say one more word about Devaki, I will throw you out of the window" - "Tula khidkitun baher phekun dein!"

Then in engineering college there was this intense "cold war" going on between me and this other girl. I got tired one day and said to her - "I know you hate me and I hate you too.. but that doesn't mean we can't show common courtesy to each other!" - hahahahaha - way to show my courtesy!

The funniest thing is none of these silly things I did seemed silly at that time (to me). These conflicts and their resolutions were a significant part of my school life!

I guess by now you are wondering what does this have to do with IndoChinese Hakka noodles?? After making a "compro" with the cold war opponent in engineering college - I went to her birthday party and her Mom had made this amazing Indo Chinese fried rice.... I called her up the next day and asked for the recipe.

This hakka noodles recipe is the same as that fried rice recipe - I just replace rice with noodles. I think over time I have also added a couple of improvisations (like adding vinegar)

I am also posting this recipe in response to the popular demand (of 1 person).. ARC had commented on the Broccoli with garlic sauce post asking for the fried rice recipe.. and he has reminded me a couple of times since then.. so here it is - just replace noodles with 2 cups of half cooked rice.

Source: My engineering college cold-war-opponent's Mom

Time: 1 hour

Ingredients: for 2 people

• 1 pack of Ching's hakka noodles
  
• 2 carrots julienne
• 8-10 french beans julienne
• less than 1/4 cabbage - thinly sliced
• 1 bunch of french onions finely chopped
• 1/2 green pepper julienne
  
• 4-5 garlic cloves finely chopped
• 1/2 inch ginger finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp red chili sauce
• 1/4 tsp crushed black pepper
• 1 tbsp vinegar
  
• Salt
• 1.5 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp Oil
  
• Water for boiling the noodles
  

Recipe:

Start heating water for boiling noodles. Add a pinch of salt and a tsp of oil to the water - the oil helps separate the noodle strands even after they are boiled.

Transfer cut carrots and beans in to separate microwave bowls add 1/2 cup water to each bowl. Cover the bowls and microwave each bowl for 1.5 minutes. Separate the half cooked carrots and beans from the water and keep aside. Half cooking carrots and beans ahead of time helps retain the color.

Heat oil in a wok or a pan and when the oil reaches its smoking point add garlic, ginger and grab the lid of the pan in the other hand.. the garlic starts to splutter quite a bit.. now add soy sauce to this hot oil and cover the lid.. and turn the heat to medium - the soy sauce violently splutters with garlic and oil.. open the lid after 20 seconds or so and you will get the aroma of Indo chinese noodles already!

Next steps are really simple - Turn the heat for the wok to medium and add half of the french onions to the oil, sir well till it changes color. Next add cabbage and green peppers - both give out quite a bit of water - don't cover the lid! Let them shallow fry in the soy goodness.. once the mixture looks relatively dry, put carrots and beans and stir well. Add vinegar and crushed pepper and mix well.

Now turn the heat to low and focus on the noodles. To the boiling water in the other pan add the pack of Ching's hakka noodles and cover the lid. Turn the heat to medium and cook the noodles no more than 2 minutes.

Strain the noodles and add to the wok, mix well with the veggies. Cover the lid for half a minute. Garnish with the remaining french onion and enjoy!!!